LocationSoutheastern Europe/Asia Minor.
Area779,452 sq km (300,948 sq miles).
Population73.3 million (UN estimate 2005).
Population Density94.04 per sq km.
CapitalAnkara.
Population: 3.5 million (2005 estimate).
GovernmentRepublic since 1923.
Head of State: President Ahmet Necdet Sezer since 2000.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2002.
Recent history: Turkey’s economy has recovered well from a crisis in 2001. With IMF support, the mildly
Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) government have introduced structural reforms that have reduced inflation and encouraged economic growth. The government also brought in sweeping institutional and social reforms to allow the start of EU entry negotiations in October 2005. The pace of reform has slowed since, leading to criticism from Brussels over issues such as human rights, freedom of speech and Cyprus. Public opinion towards the EU has cooled in the face of what is seen as European meddling and double standards. The government is facing pressure from the fiercely secular military, who are suspicious of the AKP’s Islamic credentials. The Kurdish separatist PKK (Kurdish Workers’ Party) have called a truce following an increasingly bloody campaign of attacks in the east of the country. They were also linked to a recent series of bombs in tourist areas.
LanguageTurkish. Kurdish is also spoken by a minority in the southeast. French, German and English are widely spoken in cities and tourist areas.
ReligionMuslim with a small Christian minority. Turkey is a secular state which guarantees complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.
TimeGMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity220 volts AC, 50Hz.
TelephoneCountry code: 90. The cheapest way to make calls is from PTT telephone booths, which are found in all areas. Telephone cards are available for these.
Mobile TelephoneRoaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is mostly good, but can be patchy in some rural areas.
InternetInternet cafes exist in main urban areas.
MediaThe Turkish media is dominated by several large corporations that own the main newspapers and private television channels. The Turkish press is fairly free and outspoken in most areas, although a significant number of journalists have been prosecuted under highly controversial laws against ‘insulting’ the country, state institutions or ‘Turkishness’. These are viewed by many, including the European Commission, as against the right to freedom of expression. Kurdish-language broadcasts have been introduced in order to meet EU criteria on minorities.
PostTurkish post offices are recognizable by their yellow
PTT signs. Post office hours: major outlets Mon-Sat 0800-2400, Sun 0900-1900; smaller post offices have the same opening hours as government offices.
PressThe main newspapers are
Hürriyet,
Milliyet,
Sabah and
Zamam. English-language daily newspapers include
The Turkish Daily News.
RadioTRT stations include
TRT 1 (cultural and educational),
TRT 3 (popular music) and
TRT 4 (folk and classical music).
Show Radyo and
Capital Radio are commercial stations, while
Radyo Foreks broadcasts news.
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.
20071 Jan New Year’s Day.
23 Apr National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
19 May Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day.
30 Aug Victory Day.
12-15 Oct Ramazan Bayrami (End of Ramadan).
28-29 Oct (28th is a half-day) Republic Day.
19-23 Dec Kurban Bayrami (Feast of the Sacrifice).
20081 Jan New Year’s Day.
23 Apr National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
19 May Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day.
30 Aug Victory Day.
1-4 Oct Ramazan Bayrami (End of Ramadan).
28-29 Oct (28th is a half-day) Republic Day.
7-11 Dec Kurban Bayrami (Feast of the Sacrifice).
NoteMuslim festivals are timed according to the phases of the moon and change each year. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Ramazan Bayrami, Muslims fast during the day and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Generally, centers of tourism are unaffected. Some disruption may continue into Ramazan Bayrami itself. Ramazan Bayrami and Kurban Bayrami may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region. Transport and hotels are very busy during these holidays, so book in advance.
Contact Information:Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in the UK43 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PA, UK
Tel: (020) 7393 0202.
Website:
www.turkishembassylondon.orgOpening Hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730 (appointment only).
Turkish Consulate General in the UKRutland Lodge, Rutland Gardens, London SW7 1BW, UK
Tel: (020) 7591 6900
or 09068 347 348 (recorded visa information; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website:
www.turkishconsulate.org.uk Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1230 (visas).
Turkish Culture and Tourism Office in the UK4th Floor, 29-30 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1HB, UK
Tel: (020) 7839 7778.
Website:
www.goturkey.co.uk Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in the USA2525 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 612 6700
or 6740 (consular section).
Website:
www.turkishembassy.orgTurkish Tourist Office in the USA821 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 687 2194.
Website:
www.tourismturkey.org
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